Shaping Renewables on the Downs Forum Report Released

by | Jul 9, 2025 | Media Releases, News Update

MEDIA RELEASE
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 Tuesday, 25 June 2025

Community Calls for Smarter, Fairer Renewable Energy Rollout in New Regional Report

Access the Shaping Renewables on the Downs Report Here. 

Toowoomba, QLD – A new report released today by the Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC), Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) and Re-Alliance has delivered a powerful message from regional Queenslanders: renewable energy is welcome, but the rollout must be smarter, more coordinated, and deliver lasting benefits for communities and the environment.

The report, Shaping Renewables on the Downs: Community Priorities for a Just Transition, captures the insights of over 100 people who gathered in Toowoomba in March for the Shaping Renewables on the Downs Forum. Attendees included landholders, Traditional Owners, researchers, community leaders, local and state government officials, and renewable energy industry representatives.

DDEC Coordinator and report spokesperson Ahri Tallon said the forum reflected both optimism and frustration.

“People across the Downs want the renewable energy transition to succeed – but not at the expense of our environment, cultural values, or community cohesion,” Mr Tallon said.
 “The forum revealed deep concerns that lessons from the gas boom have not been learned. We’re seeing fragmentation, duplication, and missed opportunities because of a lack of regional planning and coordination.”

The report outlines five key areas for urgent action:

  • Regional planning based on up-to-date land use and biodiversity mapping;

  • Environmental protection that goes beyond offsets and delivers net positive outcomes;

  • Equitable benefit sharing that includes neighbours and towns, not just landholders;

  • Clear standards and guarantees for project decommissioning and land restoration;

  • Access to transparent, trusted and region-specific information about projects and impacts.

Since the forum, the Queensland Government has introduced new rules requiring community benefit agreements with councils. But DDEC says more must be done to ensure local voices shape the future of the energy transition.

“We need a shift from project-by-project approvals to landscape-scale planning that reflects the realities of rural Queensland,” said Mr Tallon.
 “This report offers a practical roadmap — developed by the very people who live with the impacts of energy development — for how we can do renewables better.”

The report calls on the Queensland Government to lead the development of regional renewable energy plans, co-designed with communities by funding local governments to facilitate community benefit structures, and supported by an independent oversight body. It also recommends the creation of a central public platform for renewable energy information, and greater investment in recycling infrastructure and biodiversity protection.